Old Town Cape executive director Catherine Dunlap is disappointed that a street project that she and the rest of the group put so much time and effort into has been taken away.

But Dunlap isn't exactly feeling road rage now that Southeast Missouri State is behind the steering wheel of the first phase of the Fountain Street corridor.

Dunlap says she sees the big-picture benefits of having the university take over the design plans of the first phase of project.

The change could mean the street will be finished sooner.

Old Town Cape, a group focused on revitalization of the city's historic downtown district, had already hired an engineering firm, Bowen Engineering of Cape Girardeau, to do some preliminary designs for the route, which eventually will connect Highway 74 to William Street near downtown. Much of the design work had been done, but it was not completed.

Now, the university, which has a vested interest in the future street since it will be the main entrance to the proposed River Campus, a visual and performing arts school complete with a regional museum and visitors center.

Jacobs Engineering Group, the same firm that has been involved with the entire River Campus project, has been hired by the university to handle the Fountain Street design. That should expedite the process of coming up with a street design that compliments the River Campus.

Piece of future

The future road is considered by city officials and downtown business owners as a huge piece of the city's future since the opening of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, scheduled for this fall, will change the traffic flow on the east side of the city. The corridor will become an exit just 500 feet from the end of the bridge, the first available turnoff for motorists traveling from Illinois.

"That corridor is huge," said Debra Martin, business owner of Patricia Ann's gift shop on Main Street. "Without it, the road would just take them straight west toward the mall."

Dunlap said she was a little disappointed that the university was taking over the design after Old Town Cape had already committed funds. She said Old Town Cape has not yet been billed by Bowen, so she does not yet know the total costs.

However, Dunlap is still excited about the scope of the entire project. Much of the design work from Phase 1, from Highway 74 to Morgan Oak, can be applied to the second phase, which runs from Morgan Oak to William.

"Basically, we were notified by the university that they would make sure this project would be a reality by the time the bridge opened," Dunlap said. "We said OK. They were very gracious and an awesome partner of ours, and they were willing to work with us on the project."

Dunlap said if she would have known the university was going to design the first phase, Old Town Cape could have concentrated all of its effort on the second phase of the project. But when the group started the project, nothing was being done.

"We would have just started on the second phase, but what Old Town Cape was trying to do was to make something happen," Dunlap said. "Regardless of who does it, at least something is going to be done and it's going to be a huge asset to this district and that's the most crucial part of this -- that everything is working out to the betterment of the district."

Dunlap acknowledged that the university has deeper pockets than Old Town Cape, which is one reason she said this change in jurisdiction may help speed up the process.

"Basically, the second stage was going to have to happen later on," Dunlap said, citing funding issues. "Now, the entire project should be completed sooner."

Dunlap and university facilities management director Al Stoverink both said that the university and the downtown group will coordinate efforts so the entire corridor looks the same --to make sure trees, lights and sidewalks all match.

Both groups have been working with the city as well.

City manager Michael Miller said the city council will have to approve the plans.

Stoverink said it has always been the intention of the university to have a hand in the design of the first phase.

"Basically, we're at the point of kicking off the design of the first phase, now that we've had the conceptual plans of the River Campus approved," Stoverink said. "We'll take the concepts by the Main Street program and sit down with them and look into more details. We'll look at that and make sure we can adjust together."

The city has committed $250,000 to the project, and the university will pay for anything above that, Stoverink said. He added that $1.5 million in federal grant money has been secured by the city for stormwater, sewer and other related improvements near the River Campus.

City council members have emphasized that Fountain Street should be given a priority, and they said they want it completed by the time the bridge is finished.

Stoverink said that is still the target, and "I expect we'll meet it."

bmiller@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127